It Happens to the Best of Us
by What the Awesome is this
Summary: Emily is mortally wounded in battle with the homunculi, leaving her best friend Maya to spiral into insanity and vengeance. *OC story* Alternate end to I am the HERO AMERICA's story Wizards and Alchemists. Rated T for mental instability and possible character death. *See story for more info*


**Hello my lovely followers~ I feel like I shouldn't start another story because I'm having enough trouble with Chemical Emotion and getting HetaOni back on track... but the plot bunnies attacked...**

**Also, this is like a fanfiction of my friend's fanfiction, so I suggest you read that first. It's called Wizards and Alchemists by I am the HERO AMERICA. There's a link to her profile on my profile, or you could search it. **

**This takes place after the sewer adventure (when you first meet Maya, or around chapters 15-17), but when I wrote the beginning, I forgot that Ed went on that adventure, and he was the one carrying Emily... He wouldn't have been grading papers... Whoops! Just pretend, okay? And this is just an alternate, crueler ending that I thought up. Because I'm mean like that.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC (Maya) and my idea! Also sorry if any characters seem OOC... or Mary Sue... But if they do please tell me. I tried my hardest to not make Maya a Mary Sue! (If you can't tell that's pretty much my biggest fear when it comes to writing)**

**Okay I'll shut up now so you can read the story!**

* * *

Edward was at his desk grading papers when the door burst open. He looked over, expecting to see an student mad about their grade, but was shocked to see Maya, struggling to carry an unrecognizable figure. Blood was dripping down the side of her face and from a deep gash on her arm.

"Ed! You h-have to help h-her…" She slumped against the desk, exhausted.

Ed gaped. "What the heck?! What happened?"

"B-battle…"

But Maya was out cold before she could finish. Ed nodded and ran out of the room.

…oo0oo…

A few minutes later, he returned with Madam Pomfrey and Al.

"Brother! What happened?"

"I don't know, Al! All she said was 'battle' and then she passed out!"

"Well, why didn't you use alchemy to help them?"

"I panicked!"

"Both of you, stop it! I can't focus. What do you think is more important, your argument or these girls' lives?"

Ed paled. Al would've, but he's a suit of armor.

"Do you at least know who it is, brother?"

"No, she was covered in blood, and her head was down. I couldn't see her face."

They both stood in uneasy silence until Madam Pomfrey stood up.

"They're stable enough now. Ed, you carry Maya, Al will help me with the other girl. Here, I'll show you how."

…oo0oo…

"Man, what happened?"

"I don't know, but it must have been pretty bad. They both looked really hurt."

"Oh, and did you see who it was?"

"… Brother, it was-"

Suddenly, Winry dashed down the hall.

"Emily!"

* * *

"Are they gonna be okay?" Winry stood by the hospital beds with worry in her eyes.

"Well, Maya's not that bad, just long gash in her arm and several bruises. She just needs rest and time to heal. Emily however…" Madam Pomfrey gestured behind the curtain where Emily was. "She's in a coma. She may suffer some permanent ill effects from the blood loss. If she wakes up, that is." Emily's breathing was ragged and uneven under the oxygen mask.

"'If'?" Winry echoed. "Why won't Emily wake up?"

"All I'm saying is that we can't know for sure. Her wounds were horrendous; it's a miracle she even made it here alive in the first place."

Winry broke down crying on Ed's shoulder.

…oo0oo…

"Is it true?" Ed had come to visit them and found Maya staring out the window.

"Should you be up? You're still really hurt, and-"

"Answer the question. Is Emily going to wake up?"

"I- There's really no way to tell, but…" He trailed off. Maya's voice sounded distant and cold though he was standing next to her, and it was startling.

She chuckled. "I knew it. They didn't tell me, did you know that? I knew it though."

"Maya, is something wrong?"

She quickly whirled around to face him. "'Is something wrong?' My best friend is dying, and you ask if there's something wrong!?"

"You don't understand-"

Her eyes were brimming with tears and anger.

"No, you don't understand! I don't have anyone! My family is dead, she's all I have left!" She turned back to the window, tears running down her cheeks. "I have… No one…"

Ed noticed for the first time that Maya's eyes were unfocused, her pupils dilated. She wore a broken, trembling smile. He began to slowly back out of the room as if she were an animal that might attack him.

"… Right. Well, I'm gonna go now, okay? You get some rest."

"Yeah." She whispered almost inaudibly. "Rest."

* * *

When Ed came to visit them the next day, Maya was in bed.

"I'm resting, are you happy now?"

"Yeah. I guess." He noticed that her eyes still looked dull and unfocused and they flickered around the room, though she was no longer smiling.

Ed sighed, and they sat in silence.

"Ed?"

"Hmm?"

"Would alchemy have helped Emily?"

"… Maybe a little bit, why?"

"I didn't save her…"

"Maya, it's not your fault."

"I couldn't have saved her. I can't do alchemy or magic."

"You can't?"

"No. I know everything about alchemy, how to draw the circles, the different symbols, how to activate them, but when I try… Nothing happens."

"It just takes time and practice-"

"I have practiced! Since I was six years old. Isn't ten years enough?"

"… What about magic? I mean, I can't do magic. No one where I come from can."

"That's normal, you're a muggle. Both my parents were avid wizards. All my siblings could do it, but I was always the oddball."

"Oh. Human alchemy is illegal anyway though, so you couldn't have done it anyway."

"'Illegal' doesn't matter," She turned to him. "If you and Al let pesky things like the law get in your way, you'd both be dead." She spat.

"Well… yeah, I guess," Ed was embarrassed. "But human transmutation has serious consequences. How do you think I lost my arm and leg? Al lost his whole body."

"But if it had worked, wouldn't it be worth it?"

". . ."

"Exactly."

She said nothing more, just stared at the ceiling with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

* * *

**EDIT: Okay, I've decided that I won't post the next chapter unless I get ONE review (not from a minion or minion leader). This story has kind of been sitting here and I feel like nobody likes it :(**

**I have the next chapter written, so I can post it whenever.**


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